Lowcountry guide for back to school

  • Posted: Saturday, August 13, 2011 12:01 a.m.
    UPDATED: Friday, March 23, 2012 10:21 p.m.
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Parents and students aren’t the only ones getting ready for school. Teachers are too, as evidenced by the activity Friday at Knightsville Elementary, where assistant kindergarten teacher Cindy Pike (left), fellow assistant Ashley Hudson (right) and teacher Michelle Wood prepared their classroom.
Grace Beahm /Parents and students aren’t the only ones getting ready for school. Teachers are too, as evidenced by the activity Friday at Knightsville Elementary, where assistant kindergarten teacher Cindy Pike (left), fellow assistant Ashley Hudson (right) and teacher Michelle Wood prepared their classroom.

It still might feel like summer outside, but Lowcountry students head back to class next week.

Get in the back-to-school mood with Charleston's First Day Festival on from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at Liberty Square at the S.C. Aquarium and Charleston Maritime Center.

An estimated 6,000 students and their families turned out last year, and this year locals will have the chance to enjoy free entertainment, pick up free school supplies or take a tour of the aquarium.

If you need help with uniforms or schools supplies, Hands of Christ will be distributing both to needy elementary and middle school students at 9:30 a.m. today at Westminister Presbyterian Church, 1157 Sam Rittenberg Blvd., in West Ashley.

If your child attends Angel Oak, Mount Zion, C.C. Blaney, Edith Frierson, E.B. Ellington, Jane Edwards, Minnie Hughes or St. James-Santee elementary schools, they are eligible to participate in Hootie's Homegrown Roundup.

Parents will find everything from haircuts to dental and eye exams to uniforms and supplies at Burke High from noon until 4 p.m. today.

Having a hard time remembering everything you need to do to get your family ready for school? Make a to-do list, or borrow this one.

Make a list of contact and emergency phone numbers you will need to supply on orientation day.

Update the contact list in your cellphone to include your child's school telephone number, the after-school day-care program, any carpool contacts and, if your child takes the bus, the district transportation number. If your child has a cellphone, make sure he or she is supplied with parent/guardian work numbers and any emergency contact numbers he or she might need if you cannot be reached.

Take inventory of school supplies, books and clothes. See if you can get another year out of that backpack, lunch box, calculator or pile of three-pronged folders. Divide items into three categories -- what stays, what can be passed on to others and what needs to be trashed. In the case of clothing, consider hosting your own clothes exchange with other parents/kids. Bring what's left over to local thrift shops, organizations that serve the homeless or contact your child's school to see if it needs donations.

Watch the sales, cut coupons and start purchasing items you know your child will need, such as filler paper, science backboards and folders. (Check your school's website to see if supplies are listed there.) Same goes for clothing, but be sure to check out the school dress code first.

Set up a study/homework spot in a quiet area in your home. Stock with needed supplies -- paper, pencils, pens, dictionary, etc.

Create a "school stuff" place -- a basket, shelf or hook -- for backpacks, lunch box, sweater, sneakers, etc., so those items will be easy to grab on hectic mornings.

Purchase a file folder for important school papers: permission slips, report cards, school letters. Consider a separate folder for your child, particularly if he or she is in high school, to hold report cards, volunteer documentation, awards and any other information needed for college applications or an employment resume.

Get a calendar or a whiteboard and hang it in a prominent place so you can see at a glance when those after-school activities or doctor's appointments are scheduled.

Figure out a morning bathroom schedule if there are multiple people getting ready.

Set the rules for when homework must be completed and school-day turn-off times for the television and computer.

If he or she doesn't have one already, get your child a library card.

Make sure your child is on track to complete any summer assignments that are due the first week of school.

If your child is riding a bus, particularly for the first time, check out the bus route and go for a dry run. Point out any landmarks along the way so your child will be well aware of where he or she needs to get off the bus.

Opening day: Tuesday

Information required for registration: Child's birth certificate, S.C. Certificate of Immunization, two proofs of residency, proof of guardianship if student lives with someone other than parent

Where to go for more information: www.berkeley.k12.sc.us

Opening day: Tuesday

Information required for registration: Child's birth certificate, S.C. Certificate of Immunization, two proofs of residency (signed current lease or most recent tax bill AND one of the following: utility bill, voter registration, car registration, pay stub or piece of local/state/federal agency mail), notarized affidavit of residency

Where to go for more information: www.ccsdschools.com/Families/resources.php. Also, the district's hotline, 937-6366, will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Wednesday.

Opening day: Monday

Information required for registration: Child's birth certificate, S.C. Certificate of Immunization, proof of residency in the form of a utility bill in the parent's or guardian's name

Where to go for more information: tinyurl.com/43oo5r2

Opening day: Monday

Information required for registration: Child's birth certificate, S.C. Certificate of Immunization, proof of residency in the form of a utility bill in the parent's or guardian's name

Where to go for more information: Contact the district office at 843-563-4535 or the office of your child's school; or visit the district's Web site at www.dorchester4.k12.sc.us.